Optical elements for beam-shaping and illumination

US11650403B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC · US

Inventors

• Robin Sharma · Redmond, US
• Andrew John Ouderkirk · Kirkland, US
• Christopher Yuan Ting Liao · Seattle, US
• Qi Zhang · State College, US
• Tanya Malhotra · Redmond, US
• Karol Constantine Hatzilias · Kenmore, US
• Maik Andre Scheller · Redmond, US
• Sheng Ye · Carlsbad, US
• Gregory Olegovic Andreev · Kirkland, US
• Guohua Wei · Redmond, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 23, 2020
• Grant date: May 16, 2023
• Expiry date: May 21, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S5/18311
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An example device may include a light source, an optical element, and, optionally, an encapsulant layer. A light beam generated by the light source may be received by the optical element and redirected towards an illumination target, such as an eye of a user. The optical element may include a material, for example, with a refractive index of at least approximately 2 at a wavelength of the light beam. The light source may be a semiconductor light source, such as a light-emitting diode or a laser. The optical element may be supported by an emissive surface of the light source. Refraction at an exit surface of the optical element, and/or within a metamaterial layer, may advantageously modify the beam properties, for example, in relation to illuminating a target. In some examples, the light source and optical element may be integrated into a monolithic light source module.